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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · chip · pound · fan · stand · ground · leaves · cap

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cap — a hat
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com